Thursday, February 17, 2011

yes, it's a bird feeder

It's February in Michigan. And while the weather has temporarily calmed down — you know, it was a balmy 39˚F out yesterday — the scenery is still maybe a little bleak, or maybe I'm a little short on time to go wander around and take better photos.

There is a project that I started on 10 years ago that I never finished, and I'm engrossed in it at the moment. Every couple of years I return to this project, so time will tell if this is the time I actually just do it — finish it.

In the mean time, because I am a professional procrastinator, I finally put out some bird food. Well, that and as I said: t was a balmy 39˚F outside. Sorry birds, but when it's freezing it's just too damned cold for me to feed you — fly South.

Anyway, the crop of regulars showed up. There is a lone black-capped chickadee, the house finches, the gold finches, assorted sparrows, and the juncos.

Juncos are amusing birds. I've heard that they don't eat off of feeders - but that they scrounge around on the ground under the feeder. That was exactly what I saw when a small flock of them showed up yesterday. But they're making progress, at least one of them is. If the goldfinches and house finches can do it, then the juncos can learn it too (as evidenced by the last photo).

I am in my 3rd ,50 lb bag of sunflowers along with an assortment of other seeds and suet.I enjoy giving them treats and even have one feeder close to my house to amuse the cats indoors.It is warm here, I have my motorcycle out for another ride today, it is wet with all the splatter.